Paul Roeckell

May 4th 2019

Reflection

Reflection on Blood at the Root

My experience with Theatre Alliance doing Blood at the Root was incredibly fulfilling.

While my degree is in Musical Theatre, to sink my teeth into a full play, especially one as deep

at this beautiful Dominique Morisseau piece, allowed me the chance to work on my craft in

such a unique way.

The first amazing experience is that I was able to utilize work that I had learned at

Catholic. The show was directed completely in a Viewpoints style, attempting to find

movement and let impulse create stage picture. The ability to communicate fully with my

director and understand their style allowed me to create character with speed that I hadn’t

been able to before. Furthermore, connecting with a cast in such a deep way was interesting.

During sophomore workshop we are already somewhat of a unit when we begin, however to go

through this Viewpoints experience with a completes set of strangers, and watch it bring us

together as artists allowed for the ability to breathe within these difficult scenes.

There were some challenges that I had to overcome to be present in this role. Colin has

a life experience that I really didn’t have outside of understanding the world of Football,

furthermore the character’s arc was difficult and hardening. I would walk off stage every night

and beg my assistant directors for direction. They taught me how to breathe and give into a

scene, I often was attempting to force emotion rather than truly listening and responding with

where the character was that day. I realized something important, the scene was not going to

be the same each night, as my partner and I breathed the scene each day, it was going to move
with where we were each not, and forcing it wasn’t going to help it get better, instead to be

truthful to the reality of the day. An important lesson I think.

This show and this production impacting me in a great way and provided active ways to

utilize my education and continue to learn and grow as an artist.